I have been entering Kenilworth Carnival since I was a child. My first Carnival was in the 1950’s as a young child. In these early years I was on the ‘Arthur Street’ floats and have been Andi Pandi; the Queen of Hearts and as a child on ‘the old woman who lived in a shoe’.
During 1960’s, I entered the Carnival as a fancy dress walker for Mike’s Bikes and also in a different year, entered with a friend as ‘Safety Pins Buttons and Bows’.
During the 1980’s, my family entered the carnival as a group called ‘the Harris Family’. During these years I have been a Zombie; Superman; a butterfly; a ‘rock musician’; a classical musician and one of Glenn Millers groupies!
In approx. 1995, the Harris Family Floats ceased, and from then on until 2008, I entered the Carnival as a fancy dress walker, either on my own or with my sisters. During this period, having been in the Carnival for so many years, I was awarded with a high recommendation certificate.
I enjoy coming up with ideas for the Carnival, making costumes, making props, dressing up and of course I really enjoy the actual day itself. I do not think I could miss being in the carnival unless it is unavoidable.
After recovering from a heart bypass I became aware that I would not be able to be a fancy dress walker and walk the whole procession anymore, and therefore I need to be on a lorry or other mode of transport. In 2009, my daughter organised a lorry with some of our friends and family so that I could be in the Carnival that year, and we did the Travelling Carnivale, circa 1932 – I was a fortune teller!
After the Carnival in 2009, we realised that we all enjoy it so much that we would enter again the following year. We formed the Chinewrde Carnival Collective in 2010 and were the Zombie Carnival Queens. Last year we were the Chinewrde Marching Band and had such a laugh! I am now working on my costume for this year.
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